We are a small architecture firm specializing in sustainable, energy-efficient design. We design beautiful homes and buildings that are good for their occupants, good for their neighborhoods, and good for the environment. We believe that high quality design and green building go hand-in-hand and that higher performance does not necessarily mean higher costs.

We work on a variety of project types - new single family homes, mill building renovations, new multi-family, and commercial buildings - and we particularly enjoy the challenges of urban infill and re-purposing old buildings.

Expertise

Green Building

Green building practices result in buildings that are more comfortable, have lower utility bills, and improved indoor air quality. For more than ten years, we've made a name for ourselves as leaders in affordable green design and construction in Rhode Island and southern New England. As green building goes mainstream, the products, details, and best practices are constantly evolving. As tireless innovators, we're constantly tweaking building assemblies and incorporating new products based on the latest research in building science. What we've learned over the past ten years is that there is no silver bullet and each project requires a specific approach that takes into account the unique characteristics of the building and site and the wishes of the client.

We also strive to make every project come in at a reasonable cost. With careful planning overall construction costs for green buildings can be equivalent to conventional building costs. For example, while we spend more money on our walls and roof assemblies by including with more insulation, obsessive air-sealing, and higher performance windows, we end up spending much less on heating and cooling systems. We also work closely with builders from the earliest stages of design to reduce changes at the time of construction. We find this approach allows us to create high performance buildings while being able to avoid additional costs and budget overrides.

In the end, however, what our clients say they like most like about our projects are the simple design moves that make each building appealing and comfortable. We are serious about green, healthy and affordable buildings, but we are passionate about design. After all, good design is the key to optimizing the value of any property.

Urban Infill

We love cities and urban design and we have a soft spot for designing in abandoned or under-utilized city lots. Part of our "sustainability on all fronts" philosophy, urban infill requires wrestling with a series of constraints, from soil contamination and decaying utilities to "fitting in" with the existing fabric of the neighborhood. At Truth Box, we specialize in maximizing the potential of challenging urban sites.

Sustainable Development

Beginning in 2004, we've partnered with our sister firm, Infill Design & Development, and D+P Real Estate on a series of sustainable, green development projects. Working collaboratively as a combined architecture, development, and construction firm we have built a diverse portfolio of successful development projects including mill building renovations, new mixed-use buildings, and single family homes. These development projects enable us to enact a vision for sustainable communities and sustainable building practices while proving that this is a profitable approach to development.

Working on our own buildings means that we can be constantly experimenting with different building types, wall assemblies, and building technologies. We can track results over multiple years and develop strategies for controlling the costs of energy-efficient construction. This gives us a truly unique perspective and a depth of experience when working with private clients on their businesses and homes.

About

Truth Box regularly partners with D&P Real Estate to provide design/build services all from the same office. With equal parts architects, developers, designers, builders, and construction managers, our team comprises a cross-disciplinary group of design and development professionals interested in finding new models for building sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Peter Gill Case

The founder and fearless leader of Truth Box, Mr. Case received his Masters in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and his undergraduate degree from Brown University in Urban Studies. Throughout his career, Mr. Case has built an architectural practice around a broad definition of sustainable design. In some instances, this has led to the adaptive re-use of older buildings and large-scale mill buildings. In other instances, this has translated into using alternative building materials and strategies such as straw bale homes, passive solar design, structural insulated panels, and even shipping containers. Mr. Case began sustainable development work in 2004 in order demonstrate to a variety of markets that green, conscientious design enhances the revenue and balance sheet of real estate ventures, without necessarily costing more than conventional building.

Robert Williams

A newly licensed architect, Rob is the behind-the-scenes guy pulling together the drawing sets, working with the building inspector, wading through the building science literature, updating the website, and generally trying to keep up with the other two. He serves as the project manager for most projects in the office including the 30-unit residential building at 93 Cranston Street, the Urban Greens Grocery Co-op, and the 24-unit multifamily rehab at 101 Hillside Ave. Rob has been with Truth Box for four years and holds a M.Arch from the Rhode Island School of Design and a B.A. from Cornell University.

Rob and his family have just re-located to the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts, where Rob will be continuing to work remotely for Truth Box Architects.

Laura Moss

Laura is the newest member of the team and, as a practicing architectural designer, builder, and fabricator, she brings a unique set of skills to Truth Box. She received her M.Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design and her B.S. in architecture from Northeastern University in Architecture. Apart from her work at Truth Box, Laura also co-owns a wood and metal shop providing her space to experiment and test new ideas. Given her building expertise, Laura approaches every project with a thorough understanding of materiality and detailing.

Jordan Durham

Jordan is the founder of D+P Real Estate and our most frequent collaborator on development and construction projects. A true jack-of-all trades, Jordan is a real estate developer, designer, and builder with a uniquely comprehensive approach to executing real estate projects and investments. Jordan founded D+P Real Estate in 2006 with the mission of building a real estate company committed to sustainable design and urban revitalization, and integrating construction management with development. Jordan earned his Master in Urban Planning with a concentration in Real Estate and Urban Development from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He received his BA in Sociology and Economics from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is actively involved in community planning with the Summit Neighborhood Association on the East Side of Providence where he lives with his wife and son.

Contact

Get in touch! If you have a project you're considering,want to learn more about our work, or just want to talk shop about green building, we'd love to hear from you.